League Two Manager & Players Awards – December 2017/18

The EFL have now announced the candidates for the League Two Manager/Player of the Month Awards for December.

Four managers find themselves shortlisted following the December fixtures of the League Two season, so battling for the next Manager award of 2017/18 are:

League Two Manager of the Month nominees:

Neil Aspin (Port Vale)Having arrested the downward spiral at Vale Park, Aspin injected momentum into his side`s progress in December with an outstanding return of 13 points from five unbeaten matches, the highlight being a convincing 4-0 win over league leaders Luton.

Danny Cowley (Lincoln City)His side have improved every month on their return to the Sky Bet EFL. The confidence he has infused in his players shone through in December as they gained 13 points from a possible 15 and moved into the automatic promotion places.

Nathan Jones (Luton Town)Another free-scoring month for his side included an emphatic 5-0 away win at Swindon as they collected 10 points from five games. Best of all, his players are being encouraged just to have fun as they continue to lead the way.

John McGreal (Colchester United)Has given youth its chance and is extracting mature performances from a side with an average age of just 23. Five unbeaten games, including three away fixtures, yielded 11 points and moved his men into the play-off places.

A shortlist of four has also been selected for the Player of the Month award:

Callum Lang (Morecambe)Five goals in 263 minutes on the pitch in December for the 19-year-old Wigan loanee after two months out through injury. Smart finishes against Mansfield and Yeovil were bettered by the vision he showed to pick out the top corner against Notts County.

Matt Rhead (Lincoln City)A perfect month for the Lincoln cult hero who celebrated signing a new contract by scoring four goals and setting up another. As well as scoring, he uses his physical presence cleverly to trouble defenders and create space for teammates.

Alan Sheehan (Luton Town)The starting point of the Luton attack, his cultured left foot conjured up two dead-ball assists and a rasping tight-angled drive in December. His day job is stopping opponents from scoring, a task he also accomplished with three clean sheets.

Sammie Szmodics (Colchester United)A stellar month for the 22-year-old with five goals and an assist. It is his willingness to surge forward into the penalty area and take on defenders which is particularly impressive, most notably in his charging solo effort against Port Vale.

The winners will be announced on Friday January 12 and the judging panels are variously made up of former Ipswich Town gaffer George Burley, Sky Sports’ Don Goodman, EFL marketing director Drew Barrand, League Managers’ Association Director Olaf Dixon and Sky Bet EFL trader Mikey Mumford.